Switch-board



(N0 Moz iel.)

E. A. OWEN.

v SWITCH BOARD.

No. 424,995. Patented Apr. 8, 1890.

ZNVEWTOR WITNESSES a. @LMWL 62. M 0? 6 77. 456

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDIVARD A. OIVEN, OF EAST SAGINAIV, MICHIGAN.

SWITCH-BOARD.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 424,995, dated April 8, 1890.

Application filed August 3, 1889. Serial No. 319,639- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, EDWARD A. OWEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at East Saginaw, county of Saginaw, State of Michigan, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Switch-Boards; and I declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

My invention is designed to produce a switch-board for use more particularly in connection with automatic switch signaling apparatus for hotels, &c., although it might with equal facility be used in any position where a switch-board is desired.

It consists of a combination of devices and appliances hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of my switch-board. Fig. 2 is a section on the lineoo at. Fig. 3 is a detail of the connecting pin or peg. Fig. 4 illustrates a variation.

In carrying out my invention A represents a suitable frame on which the connectingstrips are mounted.

B represent suitable parallel wires or strips crossing the frame, either vertically or horizontally, and preferably insulated therefrom. lhesestrips may be any form in eross seetion, either in the form of heavy wire or they may be in the form of flat strips of metal, and they may be attached to the frame in any suitable manner. They may be connected at b with Wires leading to the desired point.

0 represent suitable strips crossing from edge to edge of the frame, preferably at right angles to the strips 13 and somewhat above and out of contact with them. Each of these strips 0 is preferably composed of a pair of light wires 0 0. These wires may be fastened to the frame in any suitable manner; but I prefer in the construction to form each pair of a continuous wire, the loop end 0 being engaged with a suitable thumbscrew, turnbuckle, or the like, whereby the wires may be drawn taut and kept so, and the ends 0 be ing brought together around a pin 0 and twisted. The connectingwire leading to the desired point may be attached to this pin 0 D is the connecting pin or plug. Its end 1 ranged for at F.

is slightly beveled, as at (Z, and it is provided with a suitable handle cl. At or near the base of the handle the shank of the pin is provided with depressions (Z and the distance between these depressions and the end of the pin is slightly greater than the distance from the strips B to "the strips 0. The pin D, being of a diameter slightly greater than the distance between the two parallel wires of each strip 0, will force the latter apart when inserted between them, and, the wires entering the depressions (1 the pin is held not only in an upright position but its end is held firmly against the adjacent strip B, so that an electrical connection between the strips B and C is obtained. hen the strips 13 are in the form of wire, the end (Z may be provided with a notch (Z thus insuring aperfect contact; or if the strips B should be flat, as shown in Fig. 4-, they may be provided with small depressions b and the end of the pin be shaped to enter these depressions.

In the manufacture of my switch-board much time and expense are saved, since the placing of the strips C above the strips B 0bviates the necessity of any insulation between them, and this relative location of the strips causes the pegs or pins D always to make the desired connection. If desired, there may be located between the wires 0 c at intervals what may be termed bridges 1, which being fastened to each wire will hold them the same relative distance from each other when the pin is inserted.

\Vhere my switch-board is used for hotel signaling apparatus, it is sometimes desirable to have a simultaneous call. This I have ar- We will suppose that the strips 15 are the battery or time strips, and that the strips O are the room-strips. I arrange adjacent to the ends of the strips 0 a rock-shaft F, and provide it adjacent to each strip 0 with a small contact-strip f. The shaft F has a suitable battery-connection, and so when any one of the strips f is pressed down into contact with the adjacent strip C the desired electrical connection is obtained. So, also, when it is desirable to throw all. of the strips 0 into simultaneous battery-connection the rock-shaft may be thrown over and each strip f thrown into contact with the adjacent room-strip.

I would also have it understood that my invention would cover a construction in which each strip C was composed of one heavy wire or bar and one light wire, this being the equivalent of the form shown, and it being the object of the invention to produce a switch-board in which the upper strip shall be composed of two sections which shall yield slightly with respect to each other when the pin is inserted between them.

What I claim is 1.- A switch-board for electrical purposes, consisting of a series of parallel strips extending across a board or frame, a series of wires arranged in pairs, each pair constituting a strip and extending across the board above and at right angles to the other strips, and a connecting-pin adapted to form an electrical connection between the strips at their points of intersection, substantially as described.

2. In a switch-board, the combination, with two series of strips, one series located above and extending at right angles to the other, each of said upper strips composed of a pair of parallel wires, of a pin adapted to electrically conneet the upper and lower strips at their points of intersection, said pin provided in its shank with recesses adapted to receive the wires of the upper strip when inserted between them, substantially as described.

In a S\VltCi1-b0fl.ld,ti'l6 combination, with the strips B and strips 0, of a connecting-pin adapted for insertion between the sections of the strips C and having one or more depressions in its shank to receive said sections, said pin shaped 011 its end to conform to the shape of the lower strip, substantially as described.

at. A connectingpin for the heroin -described switch-board,having its end shaped to conform to the under strip and its shank provided with depressions to receive the sections of the upper strip when it is inserted between them, the distance between said depressions and the end of the pin being slightly greater than the distance between the upper and lower strips, substantially as described.

5. In the hereindescribed switch-board, the strips 0, composed of two sections 0 c, said sections united at intervals by bridges E, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I sign this specilication in the presence of two witnesses.

EDlVARl) A. OWEN.

Witnesses:

W. ll. OHAMBERLIN, L. A. DOELTZ. 

